New CL Format Thoughts | After GW2 (pg13) | GW3 (pg33)

[Abattoir Blue]

Just as cack as the one before, but with even more games and less riding on most of them.

 

[failsworthblueboy]

It's all about the money and nothing else.

 

[ROBSH34]

Think there will be some awful games towards the end of the first stage. There will be matches where teams both teams have qualified for the top 8 or the playoffs along with teams who will be eliminated. Because of the long season teams will then play second string players.
In addition you will.also have matches where both teams in a match will need one point to either finish in the top 8 or both qualify for the playoffs. This will result like the West Germany v Austria games years ago in the World Cup. The quality of a lot of the games in the last 2 rounds may well be poor. At least with the old format some teams would have the chance of Europa League qualification when they entered their last game.
Get ready to hit the bookies in January for the last group of games when teams will play out contrived draws.

 

[Axel Freed]

Joke competition

It hasn’t had any real sporting integrity for many years and this season’s changes worsen that.

I’d sooner win the league cup

 

[Frank the Yank]

Think there will be some awful games towards the end of the first stage. There will be matches where teams both teams have qualified for the top 8 or the playoffs along with teams who will be eliminated. Because of the long season teams will then play second string players.
In addition you will.also have matches where both teams in a match will need one point to either finish in the top 8 or both qualify for the playoffs. This will result like the West Germany v Austria games years ago in the World Cup. The quality of a lot of the games in the last 2 rounds may well be poor. At least with the old format some teams would have the chance of Europa League qualification when they entered their last game.
Get ready to hit the bookies in January for the last group of games when teams will play out contrived draws.

Some excellent points made. Looking at the new format the first thing I thought was more dead rubber especially if they don’t reseed after the playoff round. The last two rounds even the last three rounds can see a lot of dead rubber.

If City were guaranteed the top four after 6 games, I would play kids and/or heavily rotate.

 

[blueparrot]

Some excellent points made. Looking at the new format the first thing I thought was more dead rubber especially if they don’t reseed after the playoff round. The last two rounds even the last three rounds can see a lot of dead rubber.

If City were the top four after 6 games, I would play kids and/or heavily rotate.

We won't be guaranteed top 4 after 6 games, maybe not even top 8 after 6. Last game could possibly be a game we can rotate and rest.

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

It s still Bullshit -it s killing modern day footballers especially International ones with a type of exhaustion.

As the league goes we need to win our next 4 to put us in with a good reckoning of our progress to the next phase.

But we all saw great 0-0 games in the later stages, and high scoring whooping too.the selling point on TV was inter and city would never meet at the old group stage format ,which is bollocks.

So there is no need for this year's format. I think it sucks, but other football fans need to think it sucks too for it to change.

 

[M23 Citizen]

TOOOOOOOOOOOOO big TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many teams. All about the fucking money for UEFA.

Wish we could just ferking skip forward to Munich and final.....this is only thing I will probably like about this comp...... just a 'money printer' for a corrupt UEFA that will hopefully disappear up its own ass.

The clubs are as in-on-this as UEFA are. If anything it’s UEFA giving the clubs what they want rather than the other way around.

All any boardroom is bothered about is money. We all know they don’t give a shit about their core fanbases, but they also don’t give a shit about their players. In clubs’ eyes, players are just there, like the fans, to be monetised as part of the product as entertainers and are not treated as serious athletes.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

My first post was maybe a tad cynical, but on reflection, it wasn't cynical enough.

Ultimately the Champions League and Europa League will morph into one competition with a league format, and 4-5 divisions separated by promotion and relegation

When all the fuss has died down, some bright spark will suggest calling it the European Super League.

 

[Dannyblue52]

They should give a trophy and shit tonne of money to the team that wins the league stage. That would make the top clubs go for top spot.
Don’t some leagues already have a ‘half way through the season trophy’ where clubs play the same teams in the same order in the second half of the season.

Rugby League award a league leaders shield at the end of the season. There is then a play off for the teams in the top 6 to go through to the grand final which is the main title. They could do the same which would make the league stage more competetive.